De Rustica Estates was established by Mr. Rob Still, a successful mining entrepreneur, shortly after his 50th birthday. His vision was to uplift and make a meaningful contribution, driven by a passion for creating something uniquely South African. Inspired by his love for trees and a deep fondness for olive oil, Mr. Still drew on his memories of accompanying his landscape gardener mother, Beth Still, to various gardens in Johannesburg during his childhood.
Through thorough research and soil analysis, it was revealed that the Klein Karoo region, with its cold winters and warm summers, was the ideal environment for his olive trees. The final choice was De Rust, nestled beneath the Swartberg Mountain, where pure water flows down the slopes. This location offered the perfect canvas for his endeavour, combining his knowledge of trees, his passion for olive oil, and a commitment to crafting something exceptional.
The area, in which De Rustica is situated, lends itself to quality olive oil production. Good, clean, fresh water comes from the Swartberg mountains, which is our catchment area. The catchment area is also situated within an Eco reserve with no human developments and associated environmental impact. Water, through the Nels River, is moved via gravity over a distance of approximately 12kms, covering De Rustica’s irrigation needs.
Cold, rainy winters and warm summers contribute to the ideal terroir for growing olives and producing world acclaimed extra virgin olive oil.
First and foremost, we produce and present quality EVOO as a final product. Associated with our EVOO, we provide education and an olive experience through our Showroom, olive-tours, olive-tastings and food-pairing. Other offerings through the Showroom include sales and a daily menu.
On our extensive sheep-operation, we provide a half lamb-in-a-box for sale through our own abattoir on De Rustica Estates. This is also available at our De Rustica Showroom and is a favourite for those searching for “farm-to-fork”, pre-packed and vacuum sealed lamb.
De Rustica also provides guest accommodation through Asher Stable Stay, which provides a real farm-feel and countryside experience.
De Rustica’s uniqueness can be found in our push for progress and growth in all aspects of the operation. The constant search for better cultivars, adapting farming practices to changing environments, and anticipating future needs is relevant not only to nature, but also to our market and socio-economic conditions within which we function. Although we are striving for perfection, we realise that progress can only be achieved through moments and periods of imperfection.
This philosophy ensures our production process remains agile and well-prepared.
De Rustica’s value system, heavily based on quality at all cost. This allows us to be small, yet also large in the range of our offerings, especially in terms of a farming operation in the Little-Karoo. This value system is represented in every product presented by De Rustica.
De Rustica will never be able to compete globally in terms of volume. However, we are competing globally in terms of our superior quality. That is the market-segment that we are positioning ourselves in, supported by being voted “Best in the World” for our Coratina, at the 2023 international EVOOLEUM Awards in Spain.
South Africa and USA.
We prioritize proven success before communicating innovations. Our focus is on environmentally friendly solutions and expanding offerings to meet the needs of the growing market interested in De Rustica and its offerings.
Contact person: Precilla Steenkamp
Email Address: precilla@derustica.co.za
Contact Number: (+27)82 557 1757 / (+27) 44 241 2177
Website: https://www.derustica.co.za
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derustica/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derusticaolive/